Burning Love
by Red0313
Summary: Continuation to Bad Blood. Mulder is jealous.


Hey, guys. I am doing a re-watch of most episodes. I really love Bad Blood and I think both Mulder and Scully were very interesting with each other. This is may take on when they get back to the office alone together. Let me know what y'all think. No copy right intended.

Once we got back to the office, things got, well, weird. It seems Mulder was still on his Sheriff Hartwell 'had buck teeth' kick, for whatever reason. I didn't completely understand it. Sure, Sheriff Hartwell was cute, but he was kind of an idiot, not to mention a vampire. Although, I'd never admit that to Mulder. He was charming though. I liked the way he looked at me. I mean, it was a little intense, but nothing too over board. It's been a while since a man has shown me any kind of attention. I guess trying to suck my blood may be too much attention. Whatever.

Mulder never treated me like I was a woman. He treated me like his equal, which was great. I am not complaining, much. He didn't necessarily treat me like one of the guys, but he sure as hell never complimented me. I saw him gaze at me, every once in a while, but nothing that would suggest he was into me or thought of me in that way.

There were those occasional forehead kisses, and hand holdings, glances, which you wouldn't ever do with one of the guys, but it still never went further than that. In fact, I was concerned he didn't even find me attractive.

Sure, he made his sexual innuendos, but that was Mulder. He could turn anything into a sexual comment. He was kind of a sexual guy. Plus, he liked to poke at me. I swear he was keeping a tally of how many times he could make me blush.

"He had a crush on you, Scully," Mulder blurted out. We were trying to do our paper work, and Mulder obviously had something on his mind.

"Who did," I played innocent.

"Oh, come on. Don't play around, Scully. You know who I mean. Your Love Loren vampire."

"So what? So what if he did, Mulder. Is that a crime," I jabbed back.

"It was very unprofessional of him," he tried. No way! I couldn't believe him.

"Please tell me you're kidding. How many women have hit on you while we were on an assignment, Mulder. How many women have you hit on," I pointed out. I was completely annoyed. What a hypocrite.

"Did you have a thing for the Sheriff," he ignored my question, answering with another question. Of course, classic Mulder.

"Mulder," I warned.

"Well, I saw it in your eyes, Scully. You got all moony whenever he came around. I've never seen you like that before. You went total school girl on me."

"Yes, Mulder. I found him attractive. And yes, he also found me attractive. Why does that surprise you?"

"It doesn't surprise me that someone would find you attractive. What surprises me is that you had a crush."

Wow. So Mulder might actually find me attractive. "I wasn't crushing on him. I said he was attractive. That was all. I find a lot of men attractive. It doesn't mean anything." He looked somewhat hurt. Did he think I was aiming that at him?

"Did you kiss him," Mulder asked. That was a very ballsy thing to ask. I couldn't believe his audacity.

"Are you kidding me, Mulder? Please tell me you are kidding!" Were we really gonna fight. How bored were we?

"Well," he pushed.

"No! I did not make out with Sheriff Hartwell. I can't believe you. You know me better than that. And you are such a hypocrite. What if I did? It's okay for you to bring Detective White back to your room and do the wild thing, but I can't flirt? Wow!"

I was pacing the room at this point. Why did Mulder even care? Why was he so concerned if I kissed the Sheriff? And then it hit me. He was jealous. He was stone, cold jealous.

"Wait a minute! You're jealous," I chuckled with amazement. I couldn't believe it.

"Am not," he answered back in a very child like tone.

"Yes. You're jealous!"

"Fine. I didn't like the way he was looking at you. And I _really_ didn't like the way you were looking at him!"

"Why?"

"Because, you're _my_ partner, Scully," he offered up. What a weak response.

"That doesn't even make sense. Who I date or have a crush on does not effect our work. I wasn't going to trade you, my partner, in for the Sheriff."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"No, Mulder. I don't get it. I'm completely baffled, as always, you dangle clues in front of my face, and I am left to piece everything together, while leaving you little bits of information out."

"Well, I am not going to explain it to you, if you don't get it. It's complicated. I just don't like when other men look at you like that, okay?"

"Well, than why the hell did you leave me alone in the car with him, Mulder."

"I don't know. I thought that's what you wanted. It isn't my place to intervene with your sex life."

"Mulder, don't say it like that. I wasn't going to sleep with the guy. He wasn't even my type. I just appreciated that he noticed me. You know, really noticed me." He gave me a confused look, but then realization hit him.

"Well, what is your type, Scully?"

"Does it really matter, Mulder." I didn't want to have this conversation. Mulder was my type, and if I told him, he was going to get smug and find out I had a crush on him. It wasn't just a crush either. I was legitametly into Mulder. I'd actually date him, given the opportunity. Date, what a foreign word. I don't even know if I know how to date anymore, its been so long.

"I'm just curious. I'll tell you mine, if you tell me yours," he wiggled his eyebrows, suggestively.

At this point, I was also curious. I had a good idea what his type was like. I didn't really need to know. It would probably just hurt my feelings. I didn't need confirmation that I wasn't his type, and he could never find me attractive.

"Fine," I challenged back. If he wanted to play a game, I would play right back. "I like guys taller than me, which isn't that hard to find, given my height," he chuckled, and I glared back. "I prefer lean and fit. I like dark hair, but not black. I like brown eyes, but hazel eyes are my favorite. I am into smart men. I like a man in a suit, someone with a high degree of education. I like clean cut men. That's my type. You're turn." And I described Mulder, I know I did. I was vague enough to where he could take it any way he wanted. I played it safe, and I knew it.

"Interesting. Well, I like shorter women. Blue eyes are my favorite. The eyes are important, because they never change with age" he started out. He made sure to look in my eyes. He was playing a very dangerous game. "Fair skin is attractive. As for hair, I'm not really into the blondes anymore. I think I'm into darker hair colors, maybe even red. I like your hair, Scully. It's what kind of killed the blondes for me," and right then and there I blushed. Damn him. "I appreciate a smart woman, with also a high degree of education. Doctors are hot, but I do love a woman in a tight, black skirt. I guess I'm into geeks. I grew up, you know." He literally just described me. He did. I was jumping for joy inside. I didn't even know how to react. And yes, I was a geek. I went home and wrote medical articles. Lame.

"Interesting," I repeated his answer. I really didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure I could even provide a full sentence, at this point. He rendered me speechless.

"Anyway, I am glad you didn't kiss the Sheriff," he blurted out. Even he looked surprised. He just slipped.

"I'm glad you didn't sleep with Detective White," I answered back, feeling bold.

"No, I wasn't interested," he chimed in.

We made eye contact, and then I broke it, feeling a little uncomfortable. I didn't know what had just transpired, but something changed. Something shifted in our careful, platonic dance we had going. About a half hour went by, neither one of us said anything. We were both obviously thinking about the same thing. The tension was palpable.

"Hey, Scully," he spoke, and I jumped. He chuckled, but I recovered with a glare.

"What are you doing later? Do you have any plans," he asked. What was he up to?

"Um," I thought a brief second. I didn't want him to think that I was free every Friday night. "No. Why, Mulder?"

"There is a new little Italian restaurant that just opened up recently. I was thinking about giving it a whirl. Do you want to go with me?"

"Is it the one on 54th avenue," I questioned. I knew that one. I drove by it every night after work. I kept thinking about going, but always chickened out. It was definitely a romantic restaurant for couples. I had basically just given up on the idea that I'd ever really go inside the place.

"Yep, that's the one. Would you like to go with me," he gave me the eyes. The soulful, hazel eyes that I just couldn't turn down.

"I'd love to, Mulder. Pick me up around seven," I told him. I wanted to go home and change into something nicer. It was a fancy restaurant, and I didn't think our business suits would be appropriate.

"Sounds good. Why don't you get out of here. You look like you have a date with your bath tub."

"Thank you, Mulder. I will see you around seven. Don't be late!"

"Oh, I wont," I heard him mutter under his breath.

And that's how it all started. That was the day that realization dawned on both of us. We were indeed attracted to each other. And no, we did not go home and have wild sex. After dinner, we took a walk through the park, the one near my apartment. Mulder was bold enough to reach for my hand, and he even threw his jacket around me, when I shivered. When it got late enough, he walked me to the door. I didn't let him in. He didn't come in for coffee and crash on my couch. He gave me a kiss on the lips, that held a promise for more in the future. He didn't stick his tongue down my throat. No, Mulder is a gentleman, and he always handled me with care, patience, and a certain gentleness which only I saw. It was perfect. It was the perfect date. And things started to shift from there on out. We were well on our way to something greater. I think we both were thrilled.

THE END

RED


End file.
